United Nations
Development Programme

Marek Zygadło, coordinator of the Drug Addict Therapy Centre "MONAR" - Cracow.

The HIV/AIDS Programme has been started at the Warsaw UNDP office in 1995. Curbing the spread of HIV is the mission of the Programme.

Objectives of the Programme:

• Lobbying for the rights of people living with HIV, as well as care and support to PLWHA
• Support to non-governmental organizations dealing with HIV/AIDS and drug use
• Development of new local and cross-border projects.
• Dissemination of knowledge and international standards on HIV prevention and support to people living with HIV and sick with AIDS
• Identifying and popularizing effective methods of fighting HIV through international and regional cooperation.
• Promoting Polish technical assistance in fighting HIV epidemic, care and support to people living with HVI and sick with AIDS in the Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia; popularizing of good practices.

Activities:

• Publications
• Tranings
• Social campaigns (including less usual forms like: run for life”, photo exhibition)
• Popularizing of knowledge on conferences, seminars and meetings.

Poland is a country of great success in stopping the spread of HIV epidemic, this however may result in complacency that is dangerous in view of the fact that the epidemic is still developing worldwide and the fastest development has again been noted in the region of Central and Eastern Europe. Additionally, the epidemic has left the so called “risk groups” and is no longer developing among drug users, homosexuals and sexworkers. Just the opposite, its fastest development is noted through sexual intercourses of heterosexual couples. To understand the HIV epidemic nowadays we have to abandon stereotypes and understand that HIV infection is dangerous to anyone of us. Having understood that, Poland has got just now, the unique chance to prevent the development of the epidemic through development of systemic action.